Selecting mechanism.



B. F. VMERRITT.

SELECTING MECHANISM.

APPucmoN Amin 1AN.24, 1914.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE;

BENJAMIN F. MERRITT, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION' 0F IL`I.|I[1\TO1IS.`

SELECTING MECHANISM.

To all 107mm t Amay concern Be it known that 1, BENJAMIN F. MER- nrr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and ing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to selecting mechanism and more particularly to selecting mechanism of the manually controlled type adapted for use in perfor-ating and circuit selecting apparat-iis.

lThe object vof lthis invention is to provide a selecting mechanism of the above type which is simple in construction and reliable and eiiioient in operation, and in which the pivoted connections are reduced to. a niini.- mum.

To the above ends manually actuated devices are provided which coperatejwith slidable selectable members adapted tol be. moved on a. diagonal troni their normal poview along the line' 2 2 ot' Fig. 1: and ig, y 3 shows a iartial section ofthe arranffement of parts for selectivel nections or contacts.4

1n thc illustrated"eiiib'odinient of the viiivention, the manually actuated devices comprise a keyboard arranged like'the keyboard ot' an ordinary typewriter, each key being capable of independently performing the selecting operations required toproduce the proper arrangement ot' perforations in thev transmitting tape or selectively actua'te circuit controlling mechanism; Each keylever 5 is pivoted to the frame (l and is provided with a spring normally elevating the outer endthcreot'. The springs and pivots are not shown as the method of their employment is well known. Each key lever has thereon a characteristic arrangement vof Specification of Letters Patent.

btate of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Select-l trolling member 12 v actuatingr circuitcon-- Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application led January 24 1914. Serial No. 814,258.

vdownwardly projecting lugs 10 differing from that' of every other key lever. The arrangement o1v these lugs determines the combination of perforations representing each character or key.

Situated directly beneath and extending in a direction transverse to the key `levers 5, are live slidable selectable members 11 and e similar circuit controlling member 12. The frame. 6 is provided with a number of pedestals 15, 16, 17` and 18 whichserve to support and guide the members 11 and 12.' A roller 20 is located between pedestals 15 and 16 and a roller 21 is located between pedestals 17 and-18. Likewise, situated between and secured to the pedestals v15, 16 and 17, 18,1

are guiding combs and. upper and lower stops 23 and 21 which insure the proper position andalinement of the slidable niem bers. `Each selectable.member 11 and the circuit controlling member 12 in Fig L, cause all the members 11 and 12 to ated against the upper ends of stops be elei 221i and 24. llvlien. however, :i key lever y5 lis depressed. certain ofthe selectable niembers l1 and in every instance the contact conwill be depressed b v the lues 10 against the tension of the s rines 304 b l v n n and-` because ot the inclined planes 52o and 28- bearing on the rollers 20 and 21 respectivelv.

are providedr .with inclined plane portions 95,. .26 at one end, and 2i, 2S. at the` other end` between will also vmove in a lateral direction along a` line diagonal to the normal position.` The resultant motion therefore is. along a diag'- onal toy their normal position oi rest. The

contact controlling member 1:2 is operated -by eveiv key t'or a described,

purpose to bepresently controlled` byv the lower` endsvot' The extent ot downward and y l:if-','al-moti in ot' the slidablc iiieiiibers stops Q3.

with projecting lugs 35 each equipped withl a socket 3G. Into this socket is Iitted the rounded end of a. lever 23T pivoted to the frame at 88. This socket construction is to facilitate the assembling and removal of lne parts. The levers 3T carry arms 39 pivoted thereto at 40. It will be readily observed,

their advanced position, but to normally as.

sumev a position out from between the hammer and punches, as shown in Fig. 2. Each punch 42 is slidable in a punch block 44 and coperates with a die block 45 to punch theholes in a tape 46. A spring 48, secured at' one end to the punch block 44, passes through a small opening in its corresponding punch 42 and normally rests against a stop 49. Vhen, however, any punch 42 is elevated by the hammer-"41,' the end of the corresponding spring 48 is raised from`the stop 49, whereby energy is stored in the spring to withdraw the punch'42 from 'the paper-upon the retraction of vhammer 41. One punch 50 is. longer than the rest `and is actuated at the depression of each key. This isthe feed hole punch and is for vthe purlpose of punching the holes for the feed Wheelto be hereinafter described. It is equipped with a spring 48 the samedis the other punches.

Hammer 4.1 is mounted upon the end of an arm l55 secured to shaft 56 which is rotated by a magnet 57 through a coupling 58. Magnet 57 is in a circuit normally open at contact` springs 60 and 6l. SpringsO and 61 are adapted, however, to be closed by the 4 upwardly extending lug 63 of the Contact controlling member 12 after all of the desired arms 39 have been advanced t'a posi- 'tion between their corresponding punches 42 and the -hammer 41. Upon the depression 'of each key, therefore, the member 12 causes the closing ofthe energizing circuit. for lthe magnet 57.-4 l

To provide for theadvancement of the tape, the shaft 5G is provided with an arm 65 carrying at yits outer end'aspring-tensined pawl 66. .Pawl 66 is adapted to engage the teeth of, and rotate a star wheel 67, upon the retraction pf thearmatre of magnet 57. The teeth of the star wheel'67 engage the openings created by the feed hole punch 50l and consequently, when the depressed key lever 5 is released, a' clean surface of paper is thereupon .presented for the next selection. v

v Then embodied in a keyboard circuit l controlling device, the die block 45I isdispensed with. In its place sets of springs y70, 71 (Fig. 3) are substituted, which are normally separated but adapted tosbe selectively 'closed through `the agency'o' pins 72 which take the place of the punches 42.

.There is one set of contacts 70, 71 for each .pin` 72.

perforator and consequently it maybe dispensed with.V

What I claim is:

1. A selecting mechanism comprising a plurality of manually actuated devices, .a plurality of members selectively movable by said devices in predetermined groups along paths diagonal to their normal position, and means controlled by said members.

2. Aqselecting mechanism comprising a plurality of manually actuated devices, a plurality of members to be selected, a plurality of -slidable*selectable members equal in number to saidl members to beselected, said selectable members being adapted to be moved along a path diagonallydisposed to their normal position, means associated with said manually ,"actuaed' devices for selectively operating said slidable members in predetermined groups, and means for actuating the members already selected by' said manually actuated devices.

3. A keyboard selecting mechanism com`4 prising .a plurality of, selectable members nal to their normal positions, a plurality of key levers adapted to selectively move' said selectable members in various combinations, operating means controlled' by said members, and a power mechanism coperating with said members and said means to effect the operation of said operatingmeans. I

4. A selecting mechanism comprising a plurality ofreciprocating actuators, a plurality ofmanually actuated devices, va

'capable of beingmoved along paths diagoplurality of members selectively movable by 'v said devices inpredetermined groups along paths diagonal to their normal position, and means coperating with'said 4actuators'and said members for converting the diagonal movement of sajd members into a reciprocating movement of said actuators.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe myname this 23d day of January, A. D.

l BENJAMIN F. MERRITT.

Witnesses 'i ALICE HAzLaY, ,LAURA DonrN o. 

